In certain geographical areas, wildland or wildfires can race through inhabited areas destroying residential and commercial property worth millions of dollars. Wildfires are often ignited by natural phenomena such as by lightening storms or caused by mankind. Once a wildfire is ignited, it creates an environment that requires fuel, oxygen, and suitable temperature conditions to continue to exist.
In order to extinguish the wildland or wildfire, the goal of the firefighting operations is to contain the fire by progressively extending a series of fire hoses forming a progressive hose line or “wet line” around the perimeter of the fire. Typically, the wet line is comprised of a one and one half (1.5) inch hose line or main line with a smaller, typically one (1.0) inch fire hose at intervals of usually 100 feet. Accordingly, as the hose line is laid around the perimeter of the fire, it is necessary to clamp off the flow of water by means of a hose clamp to add the next length of hose.
Historically, wildland firefighters have used hose adapters referred to as forestry tees that divert water from one and one half (1.50) inch hose into one (1.0) inch hose that is used to extinguish the interior of the fire after the fire contained. In addition, in more recent history, firefighters have started using inline shut-off valves in lieu of hose clamps to stop the flow of water to enable them to connect additional lengths of hose to extend around the perimeter of the fire.
This invention combines a traditional forestry tee and an inline shut-off valve into a single apparatus that allows a firefighter to divert the flow of water down the extended hose, to the one-inch hose, to both hoses or is able to shut the flow off completely, which can potentially cut costs, save time and reduce the weight and space of apparatuses currently carried by fire personnel.